If you’ve ever stood at a New York City bus stop sweating it out, checking your phone to see when the MTA Bus might arrive—only to get the dreaded spinning wheel—this is for you. The MTA just dropped a new kind of update that doesn’t require an app, a MetroCard, or even a smartphone. You just have to look up.
New digital stop displays have started popping up in select neighborhoods across the city, offering real-time bus info right where you need it: at the stop.
On June 25, 2025, the MTA and NYC Department of Transportation quietly rolled out touchscreen digital displays at four city locations — two on the Upper West Side (Columbus Avenue at 74th/75th and 80th Street), and two more in Queensborough Hill. These sleek, battery-powered screens, created by Urban Solar, give riders real-time arrival updates for local lines like the M7, M11, and M79.
No phone. No app. No guessing. Just minute-by-minute bus ETAs on a weatherproof screen you can actually trust. It’s all part of a year-long pilot program designed to test how well this tech can improve the daily grind for thousands of city bus riders.
MTA Digital Screens
The pole-mounted screens display Upcoming bus arrival times, Line numbers and directions and Real-time countdowns for the next few buses.
They’re basically like the subway countdown clocks—but for above-ground riders. The goal? Give bus riders the same convenience subway commuters have had for years.
Right now, more than 500 city bus stops have audio-based systems for blind or visually impaired riders, but these new screens are the first visual-based real-time displays being tested in open-air environments.
Why MTA Bus Screens matters for New Yorkers
Let’s face it: Taking the bus in NYC can sometimes feel like gambling. The app says 4 minutes. You wait. Then it changes to 6. Then suddenly, two buses arrive back-to-back—and neither stops. Frustrating, right?
By putting real-time info directly at the stop, riders can better plan their commutes. Maybe you run to grab a bagel. Maybe you switch to a different line. Either way, you’re not just standing around in limbo anymore.
As the DOT put it in a recent statement, “Providing bus riders with real-time information on bus time arrival is a powerful tool that will help New Yorkers to better manage their commutes.” Translation? You won’t be left wondering if your bus is lost in the void again.
Part of a bigger picture: Smart transit for NYC
These digital screens are part of the 2024 Transit Tech Lab Challenge, a city initiative pushing for smarter, more tech-forward transit solutions. And this isn’t the only upgrade happening.
The MTA is also planning to install 9,000 new digital screens across subway stations and trains over the next year, all powered by the new Mercury platform—a next-gen communication system that lets the MTA share location-specific service alerts, live updates and even crowding notifications.
That’s right—soon, the MTA could notify you before you enter a packed station or tell you which train is arriving on which platform, and exactly how full it is. It’s not just more screens; it’s a full tech transformation.
Will more bus stops get these screens?
Right now, it’s a pilot program with just four test locations. But depending on how New Yorkers respond (and how well the tech holds up through rain, snow, and the occasional pigeon attack), we could see these digital bus stop screens rolled out across all boroughs.
The DOT is actively collecting rider feedback through surveys over the next 12 months. So if you’re one of the lucky early testers—let your voice be heard. This could shape the future of how we ride the bus in NYC.
Where you can find them today:
📍 Upper West Side:
Columbus Ave & West 80th St
Columbus Ave between West 74th & 75th
📍 Queensborough Hill (Queens):
Specific stop names haven’t been detailed yet, but residents in the area will know when they spot one.
This isn’t the biggest transit overhaul ever—but it doesn’t need to be. Sometimes, it’s the little things—like knowing whether you have 2 minutes or 10—that can totally change your commute.
You can find the original MTA Press Release here.
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